Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has staked his political future on winning the Makerfield by-election - and, potentially, a tilt at becoming Prime Minister.

But who is Burnham, and how did he get here?

In this special episode of Northern Spin, co-hosts Chris Maguire and Frank McKenna profile the man dubbed the King of the North.

They discuss:

• How Boys from the Blackstuff changed the direction of his life

• His lifelong love affair with music, Everton FC and politics

• Why Hillsborough became a personal crusade

• Walking away from Westminster after losing two Labour leadership contests

• Becoming Greater Manchester Mayor and building the King of the North brand

• Standing up to Boris Johnson’s government during Covid

• His successes and failures as Mayor

• Why it’s sh*t or bust for Burnham and Labour in Makerfield

Northern Spin is a joint production from BusinessCloud and Downtown in Business. It is produced by Dan Brown of Renowned.

Chapters:

00:55 – The Man Behind the Mayor: Who Is Andy Burnham?

02:42 – How He Became a Great Communicator (He Wasn't Always)

04:23 – Born in Liverpool: Burnham's Origin Story

06:07 – The Hillsborough Moment

07:42 – Why Liverpool Was So Angry - and What Burnham Did About It

10:37 – Turning His Back on Westminster: Why He Chose Manchester

12:20 – First Day as Mayor

12:47 – Giving Away 15% of His Salary

14:56 – Winning Over a Room of Skeptical Business Leaders

18:11 – Stuck on the M6 but Still Shows Up

21:33 – Great Communicator or Instinctive Politician? The Key Difference

25:47 – Getting it right

28:19 – Soft Power & What It Means on a National Stage

31:10 – Andy's character

32:57 – Why He Hates the Word "Celebrity"

33:30 – The Quote on His Office Wall That Explains Everything He Does

34:31 – Why He's Going Back to Westminster - and Why Now

All eyes are on the North as Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham fights to win the Makerfield by-election and keep alive his path to No.10.

But any ambitions Burnham has of becoming Prime Minister depend on stopping Reform in the most important by-election in a generation.

In this episode, co-hosts Chris Maguire and Frank McKenna tackle the big questions:

• Can Brand Burnham win over Makerfield, Labour and the country?
• Is it Burnham or bust for Labour?
• Will Carol Vorderman finish off Reform candidate Rob Kenyon after the sexism row?
• Would victory in Makerfield make Burnham Labour’s next leader in waiting?
• And why does Burnham need to ditch the King of the North label?

Northern Spin is a joint production from BusinessCloud and Downtown in Business. The producer is Dan Brown of Renowned.

This week's Northern Spin is a deep dive into why politicians are making such a play for business, and what the private sector might want in return. We discuss the horrors emerging from the Covid Enquiry, the political tightrope Keir Starmer is walking over the Middle East crisis and explain why Suella Braverman is saying such dreadful things about homeless people.

PLUS: In the culture bit, positive reviews of the Manchester United tour, the Pendle Witch experience and Killers of the Flower Moon.

After crushing by-election defeats in Tamworth and Mid Beds Chris crunches the numbers and works out what it means for the Conservatives in the Red Wall north and the leafy northern shires. Plus, insight from would be MPs on seats where Labour dares to dream, the dangers facing Keir Starmer as his support for Israel prompts the resignation of a Manchester councillor, why it's York Library Service 1, Banking Bureaucracy 0, and our tributes and memories of Sir Bobby Charlton.

Reeves and Rayner get rave reviews, Burnham on best behaviour. PLUS: The remarkable work of the Mines Advisory Group, and how northern politicians have balanced their messaging around the unfolding horrors in Israel and Gaza.